If you're pregnant,
chances are someone will want to throw you a baby shower. You've probably been
to several yourself, or to similar parties. However, I've seen a few
articles about parties such as naming (NOT christening) or
gender-reveal parties. I'm all for finding an excuse to get together
with the girls and have some cake and cappuccino, but I think trends
like these can turn bad when these sorts of parties are “pushed”
on a person. For instance, take this letter to Slate's advice
columnist-
This woman isn't the
expectant mother, but she's still feeling pressured by a friend to
have a party that she thinks is silly and over-the-top. If you're in
a similar situation-your friends and family insist on throwing you a
party that you don't feel comfortable with, here are some ways to
handle it.
Make your wishes
known. A lot of the parties I mentioned above are something you'd
expect among the “ultra-feminine country-club” crowd, especially
since they'd probably be the only ones who'd be able to afford it.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, but maybe your tastes are more
simple than that. Not everyone likes the attention or cares for the
“traditions” some people claim.
For instance, a friend
of mine was being given a baby shower when she was pregnant with her
son. She wanted her mother-in-law-the baby's grandmother-to throw the
party because, while she didn't want a baby shower at all, she felt
that the person (of the aforementioned 'country-club crowd') whose
idea it was to host was going overboard and making it more about
herself than anything else. She was told that it wasn't “proper
etiquette” for the grandmother of the coming baby to throw the
shower. My friend found these “fancy” things to be pretentious
and wanted a more casual get-together. If you are of the same
opinion, there is nothing at all wrong with saying so. If the other
person gets upset, perhaps you can compromise. Chicken salad rather
than cucumbers for sandwiches, miniature eclairs in the place of crab
puffs-small changes can make the party more “you” while still
allowing your friend to honor you. That doesn't
mean the person will listen, but making your wishes known and being
willing to compromise is very helpful in reducing the stress that can
come with such parties.
However-
Understand that the
person usually means well. Even if they seem pushy, that could be
their way of honoring you. The shower-host mentioned above likes
giving parties to show her appreciation for her friends. She threw a
very nice bridal shower for me when I got married. I didn't ask her
to do that, but she did it as part of a gift to me and because that's
just what she likes to do. That's what she was doing with the baby
shower-trying to show friendship, albeit going overboard in the
process. Realizing this and letting your friend know that you
appreciate the effort will go a long way.
Hopefully I've been
able to help you navigate the waters of over-the-top parties. If you
do end up having them, though, be sure to invite me! I love
cappuccino.
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